The Wolf's Niece
by Nathan Lane-Beatles Luvr
Summary: Emma is an 18 year old Weider Blutbad. She hates her family with a passion, but none more so than her uncle Monroe, who had been her hero for the longest time - he was the reason she became Weider in the first place. She hasn't seen her uncle for 11 years, so what happens when her parents exile her to Portland, Oregon - to Monroe? Will she forgive her uncle, or go on hating him?
1. Chapter 1

**I DON'T OWN GRIMM OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN EMMA.**

**AN: Now, before we begin, I want to make something completely clear. I do not in anyway hate Monroe. I absolutely adore him (I make inhuman sounds whenever he pops up on screen). I merely thought that this would be a interesting idea for a story. Please tell me what you think!  
**

**Chapter 1**

Emma wasn't your typical 18 year old Blutbad. In fact, she was what you would call a Weider Blutbad. She didn't kill anyone or anything and she wanted to keep it that way. She was a pretty good person, or Wesen, or whatever term you wanted to use.

But she was also angry. Not about anything in particular, just generally angry at the world. She hated her family, but none more so than her uncle Monroe.

Yeah, yeah, she knew what you are thinking. Everybody thought it, too. How could she hate Monroe? He was such a nice guy; he was so funny and sweet, and blah, blah, blah. Yeah, Monroe was all those things. And one would think, since they were both Weider Blutbadden, they'd get along great.

Emma had been a Weider Blutbad for as long as she could remember, but she must have been 7 when she converted. She became one after she realized that Monroe was one. She didn't like killing or maiming anything. Sure, she liked to run through the woods on full moon nights, but she refused to kill. And for a long time, Monroe had been her hero. They were in it together; two Weider Blutbadden in a family of animals. Monroe had always protected her, stuck up for her. He was her everything, really. She was only seven, what could you expect? She needed someone to look up to, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be her father, or her mother, or any other member of her family. So it was Monroe. She never gave up because of him. She never killed because of him. It was them against the world.

And then, suddenly, it wasn't. One day, Monroe just up and left. He left the family, if you could call it that (in Emma's opinion, you couldn't). But more importantly, he left her. He left Emma alone with her vicious parents and the rest of her violent family. It devastated her when he left. He didn't even say goodbye; he just _left_.

So she was left alone to deal with her bloodthirsty family, the only Weider Blutbad in a sea of killers. She didn't know how many times her heart broke, over and over again, whenever her family insulted her and Monroe wasn't there to tell them to back off.

Eventually, she became angry with Monroe for leaving. And that anger turned into resentment, which morphed into the hate she now held for her only uncle. Over the years, she became extremely anti-social with her family, to the point where she rarely came out her room anymore. During the summer and fall she was out almost all the time, but she was always alone. Some thought it was a shame because she was so pretty. That's what they said, what they always said: "_It's so horrible that she stays locked up in her room all the time. If only she got out, she could find herself a nice boy and settle down."_

That only angered her even more. That was the only thing people cared about when it came to her: her looks.

Yes, she was pretty. Her straight dark brown hair was cut short into a pixie style (she had no time for cosmetics, so this hairstyle was perfect for her), which she usually spiked up a little. Sometimes she would straighten it, but that was the extent of her dealings with cosmetics. She had sea-green eyes that normally sparkled in the sun and glowed in the pale light of the moon, although in the moonlight they were usually red anyway.

She wasn't very tall, but she was a comfortable 5'3", thank you very much. She tended to wear black, and no, she wasn't Goth, or emo, before you asked. There wasn't anything wrong with being Goth or emo (well, except for the cutting bit, she thought that it was horrible that some people were so tormented that their only release was harming themselves), it was just that was something she wasn't. She just liked the color black.

But, yes, getting back on track, the only thing people concerned themselves with when it came to her was her looks. They completely ignored the fact that she was very intelligent. And yes, she went to school. Normal high school, although she didn't really have friends there. She had graduated last year but she had been an 'A' student. Not that anyone cared. Her parents were too busy shunning her to care.

Some people found this hard to believe, but she didn't care about her family. Not anymore. Maybe she did at one point, but those people lost all her respect over the years and she just didn't care anymore. She hated the lot of them and they hated her. It was just a fact of her life. She was planning on moving away soon, hopefully to England, or somewhere as equally as far away, but she just didn't have the funds yet. She worked at a coffee shop at the current time.

Okay, so she wasn't as isolated as you'd think. Actually, she was really nice, but no one got to know her because everyone in this place either remembered her as the 'weird girl from school' or they were members of her hateful (and equally hated) family. She was only anti-social in public because she didn't trust people.

She was just a big ball of complex stuff, really.

* * *

One day, she was in her room, lying on her bed, listening to her music on her iPod, which consisted mostly of Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and The Beatles. Yes, she knew it was a big jump between Green Day and My Chemical Romance to The Beatles, but there you go.

She was just minding her own business when her mother and father burst into her room and scared the hell out of her.

"What the hell was that about? Don't you people understand the concept of knocking?!" Emma asked angrily. She hated any time she had to converse with her parents. Her mother had no expression, but her father growled and said, "Do not speak to us that! You will respect your parents, you insolent brat!"

Emma, having heard this insult many times before, rolled her eyes and said, "I'll respect you when you when you deserve it. Now, would you care to explain why you two suddenly had the desire to be battering rams and tear down my door?"

Her mother stepped forward. "Your father and I," she said, looking severe (not that she ever looked any different), "have decided that you will no longer have a place under our roof. You have been an embarrassment to our family for too long, girl. We have no use for a _Weider _Blutbad in this family. We're sending you where you can no longer embarrass us. You will have tonight to pack your things and you will leave tomorrow."

Emma was actually relieved to hear they were exiling her. This meant she didn't have to deal with them anymore! Evidently, her happiness showed on her face because her mother smiled evilly and said, "Oh, don't look so happy, Emma. We're sending you to the one place we know you'll be unhappy."

"And where's that?" Emma asked, expecting some stupid answer. Anywhere her parents weren't, as far as Emma was concerned, was the happiest place on Earth.

Now both of her parents were smiling evilly. "We're sending you to your uncle Monroe in Portland, Oregon."

Her parents knew of her hatred for her uncle. Originally, they had thought that her hatred would be enough to force her back into 'normal' Blutbad behavior, but they had been wrong, to their fury. Regardless of Monroe, she still hated killing.

Emma felt her heart drop. It would be the first time in eleven years that she would see her uncle. But she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Monroe has already agreed to let you live with him," her father said. Emma nodded and asked, almost against her own will, "Was it voluntarily?"

Her mother shook her head. "No, we didn't give him a choice. He seemed…interested in taking you in, however."

"Fine. I'll pack tonight and leave for Portland tomorrow. I assume you have his address?" Emma asked. Her father nodded stiffly and handed her a Post-It note. "I suppose I'll drive there. Shouldn't take too long, we're only in Seattle."

"We don't care how you get there; we just want you out of our family. You should be grateful that Monroe wants you. Even if he is a traitor to the Blutbad species," her mother said coldly.

Emma didn't respond. She had dealt with her parents' vitriol for far too long to be bothered by it anymore. She just nodded and her parents left. She considered for a moment not going to Portland at all, but her parents had people in Portland. They would be checking in every so often to make sure she hadn't left.

So, that idea was out. It looked like her only choice was to go to Portland – and to Monroe.


	2. Chapter 2

**I DON'T OWN GRIMM OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN EMMA.**

**Chapter 2**

As Emma drove to Portland, she thought about what she would say when she finally saw Monroe again. She knew that it was going to be awkward - there was nothing else it could be - but she thought, if Monroe was the same as he used to be, that he would try to make it all up to her.

And she wanted to give him that chance, really she did, but it would be hard letting go of eleven years' worth of resentment, anger and hurt. She'd been angry at everything for so long (and Monroe was at the top of that list) that she just didn't know how she would react to seeing him again after so long.

She still remembered the heartbreak and devastation - the **exact** feeling that she had when she found out that her only uncle, her entire universe, her _hero_ had just up and left her.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"Mom?" Emma said. Her mother turned around and looked at her. "Where's Uncle Monroe?"_

_Her mother and father looked at each other before turning to look at her. "He's gone," her father snarled. Emma was confused. _

_"What do you mean, he's gone?"_

_"He left. He abandoned the family - the pack. Not like it's a great loss. He's been an embarrassment to us for far too long."_

_"H-He left?" Emma stammered. Monroe __**left**__? But what about Emma? He couldn't just leave her here to rot, could he? Emma's heart sunk when she thought about it. He just left. He didn't even say goodbye, or anything. He didn't offer to take her with him - away from her violent parents, and the rest of her 'family'. He __**had **__left her here. He __**had **__deserted her - abandoned her, left her to rot in this hellish existence. _

_Her father snorted when he saw Emma's expression. "Oh...you didn't really think he __**cared **__about you, did you? He didn't. He never did. His leaving you all alone proves that."_

_"Y-You're wrong. Uncle Monroe wouldn't leave me here! He'll come back for me! He has to!"_

_"He never loved you, Emma. Besides, you belong here, with __**us**__. We're your parents. And now that Monroe is gone, you don't have to worry about pretending to be a Weider Blutbad. You can go back to being __**normal**__," her mother said._

_"__**NORMAL?! **__What about killing and maiming is __**normal**__? And I'm not pretending to be anything! I'm a Weider Blutbad, that's who I am! Uncle Monroe not being here isn't going to change that!"_

_Both her parents growled at her and although she was scared, Emma stood her ground. "No, I mean it! I am not a monster, and I refuse to behave like one! You may like killing and all that, but I __**don't!**__ I won't take the lives of innocent people, or Wesen, or whatever else happens to cross my path. __**I won't**__."_

_Her mother looked at Emma as though she had never seen her before and her father was shaking with fury. He seemed incapable of coherent speech, until he managed to growl out, "__**Go to your room. You may not come out until you are ready to be a NORMAL member of this pack!**__"_

_As she stomped off to her room, she shouted, "Well, I'm going to be up there for a long time, then!"_

_"DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME, YOU BRAT! YOU SHOULD CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY THAT WE DON'T __**THROW YOU OUT RIGHT NOW**__!"_

_Emma held back tears when she said, "Uncle Monroe will come back for me. I know he will."_

_End Flashback_

* * *

Emma had been so sure that Monroe hadn't completely deserted her that for the next two months, all she did was wait for him to come back for her.

But he never did. She didn't want to give up hope that one day he would rescue her from her own personal hell, but after eleven years...well, holding on to that kind of hope was optimistic to the point of stupidity. And after the years had gone by...well, Emma was anything but optimistic.

* * *

In Portland, Monroe was pacing back and forth nervously. Nick Burkhardt, who was sitting on the couch, was watching him go back and forth, back and forth until he finally said, "Monroe, you're making me dizzy, will you sit down?!"

Monroe looked up, with an almost startled expression on his face, as though he had forgotten Nick was even there. And in fact, Monroe had been so caught up in his thoughts and worries that he **had **forgotten Nick was there.

Monroe sighed and collapsed onto a chair nearby. "Sorry, man. It's just..."

"What?" Nick asked, looking curiously and a little concernedly at his best friend. Monroe heaved another sigh and said, "It's my niece."

"You have a niece?" Nick exclaimed. Monroe gave him a look and said, "Why are you always so surprised that I actually have relatives?"

"Well, you never talk about them, so -"

"Yeah, and for good reason."

"Exactly, which is why I didn't know you had a niece. You've never mentioned her before."

Monroe nodded and then leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "Her name's Emma."

"Okay," the detective said, trying to get Monroe to say more. Monroe looked up at him, looking completely stressed out.

"Yeah...Emma. She was like a daughter to me, but I haven't seen her in eleven years."

Nick raised his eyebrows at this. "_Eleven years_? Why?"

Monroe looked up at his Grimm friend and not for the first time, thought about how weird this was. If Emma's parents - hell, if his own parents found out about his friendship with Nick...well, he'd be considered even more of a 'traitor' than he was now.

"I don't know, man. I really don't know anymore. I left my family for good when I was 27 - Emma was only seven at the time - and I promised myself that I would never go back. That was probably my first mistake."

"What do you mean?" Nick asked. Monroe looked down at his hands and said, "Emma...is a Weider Blutbad, like me. In fact, she became one when she was only seven. She'd been one for about six months when I left."

"Okay..." Nick said. He wasn't entirely sure where this was going. Monroe shot him another look and said, "Look, you know that Weider Blutbaden and just regular Blutbaden don't get along, and that is a understatement. I was the only one who protected Emma from the rest of the family. Like I said, she was only seven when I left. I think you can imagine how difficult it would have been for Emma after I left."

"Why didn't you just take her with you?"

"I wish I had. But I was only 27. I had no clue how to take care of a little girl...but even that would have been better than leaving her there, like I did."

"Okay, so Emma is the reason you're freaking out...why?"

"Because she's coming here. Her parents have finally decided to exile her, but they didn't want her to be happy, so they contacted me and I agreed to take Emma in."

"Why would coming here make her unhappy?"

Monroe rolled his eyes. "Think, Nick. I left her with our violent and hateful family, when she was only seven! She's grown up alone, Nick... she's gonna hate me, I know it."

Nick was stumped. As weird as Monroe could be sometimes, he was a good guy and Nick couldn't imagine anyone hating him, much less his own niece.

"Okay, Monroe, hold up a second. I think you might be overreacting. Why would she hate you?"

"Nick, you don't know what my family is like! Although, you've met Angelina, so you have some idea of what 'normal' Blutbaden can be like. Anyway, they'll have tormented and ridiculed her throughout the years, that's for damn sure. They did it to me, and they sure as hell will have done it to Emma. Only problem is that Emma was a lot younger than I was when I switched. I was there to protect her for the most part, but after I left, she was on her own. And you've got no idea how many times I wished I could go back and change what happened, but I can't. Emma has ended up hating me for leaving her, I know it."

Nick felt immensely sorry for Monroe. "How could you possibly know that?"

"You mean, aside from the fact that that's the only way she could feel about me after everything? Well, for one thing, her mother told me that's how she feels about me now."

"Well, is there any chance she was lying?"

"Yeah, I guess, but that chance is really tiny," Monroe replied. Nick nodded and said, "Well, maybe once Emma gets here, you should have a long talk with her about what you just told me. About how you regret leaving her there. The worst that could happen is that she doesn't forgive you."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know. I mean, she's eighteen, now, Nick. She's all grown up and I missed every second of it. I just -"

Monroe cut himself off when they both heard a knocking come from outside. Monroe looked towards the glass in his door and saw an female outline. The female on the other side knocked again and Monroe nearly had a heart attack.

"It's her," Monroe said. "It's Emma."

* * *

**So what did you think? I hope that I got Nick and Monroe's characters right. Please tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I DON'T OWN GRIMM OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN EMMA AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 3**

Emma took a deep breath as she knocked on Monroe's front door. She chuckled softly to herself when she saw the wolf image on the glass that rested in Monroe's door.

She willed herself to stay calm, disinterested even, so that when Monroe answered the door, she wouldn't break down on sight. For a girl who was normally in control of her emotions, she felt like she was spiraling out of control, and even she didn't know how she would react.

And then the door opened. The man who answered was Monroe. Who else could it have been? He looked almost completely the same, except for the fact that he had aged only slightly. Monroe was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. On his face was a nervous smile that was partially hidden behind his beard.

Emma could tell that he was just as nervous as she was.

"Emma," he said softly. His dark eyes roamed over every plane of her face, as though he had been bidden to memorize it.

"Hello, Monroe," Emma said, completely aware of the fact that she left out the 'uncle' in front of his name. She didn't really think he deserved the title, and could anyone blame her?

Monroe shifted slightly when she said his name, and Emma guessed it was because of the lack of the familial title that should have been there.

"Oh, uh, come in. Oh, here, let me take your bag. Is this it?" Monroe said, clearly very nervous. Emma almost smiled – almost.

"Yeah, except for my backpack. Thanks," Emma said, as she allowed Monroe to relieve her of her bag. As Emma stepped into Monroe's house for the first time, she couldn't help but detect the scent that had been engraved into her memory by her very cruel brain. It was like her brain wanted her to remember Monroe always, and never get over the pain that was associated with him.

But there was something slightly different about the scent – something extra. Emma turned her head and for the first time, noticed a man smiling at her.

"Hi. Nick Burkhardt," the man said, extending his hand. Emma took it and greeted him, although it was clear to everyone that she didn't trust him at all. How could she? She'd only just met him after all…

"Emma Jester," Emma replied. Then she caught Nick's scent. Her spine stiffened visibly and she backed away slightly.

"You're a Grimm," Emma said. It wasn't a question; merely a statement of fact.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you or anything. Monroe is a friend of mine," Nick replied. Emma looked around at Monroe and he nodded with a shrug. "It's a little complicated," he said.

Emma looked back around at Nick and cocked her head. "I never thought I'd meet one of you without getting my head ripped off immediately afterward."

"Yeah, well…" Nick said with a nervous chuckle. "Don't worry. I won't be ripping anyone's head off. Certainly not yours."

Emma laughed, but it wasn't full of mirth, Monroe noted, like it used to be. "Me, worry? No offense, Nick, but if push came to shove, I could rip you to pieces."

Nick nodded and said, "Yeah, I've come into contact with the strength of Blutbadden before. I believe you."

"He met Angelina," Monroe interjected. "Do you remember her?"

"Angelina? Angelina Lasser? That crazy chick you dated?" Emma asked. Monroe nodded and Emma looked at Nick with pity in her eyes.

Emma remembered Angelina very well. However, Monroe dated her before he was a Weider Blutbad. Angelina was just as vicious as her family, and infinitely more dangerous. Her family had honor (even if it was very little) and a semblance of morals. Angelina didn't.

"I feel sorry for you. Angelina's insane. What I'm more interested in, is how you survived. If Angelina attacked you, she was probably trying to kill you as well."

"She was, but luckily, Monroe and Hap pulled her off before she could do any real damage."

"Oh, I remember Hap. I heard he'd died."

"He was killed," Monroe said, looking extremely regretful about it. "By a Bauershwein."

Emma raised her eyebrows. Blutbadden and Bauershwein had been enemies for as long as anyone could remember, but the pig-like Wesen were not particularly strong, or brave, and it surprised her that one of them killed Hap Lasser.

"Oh. Well, that's…"

"Surprising, I know. But it happened," Monroe said with another shrug. "In fact, ever since Nick stepped up to the plate batting as the next Grimm, a lot of weird stuff has happened."

Emma nodded and said, "Good to know. I'll let you know if I see anything weird…"

Nick smiled and said, "Thanks. Right, well, I'd better get going. I'll see you later, Monroe. Nice to meet you, Emma."

"Likewise, Nick," Emma said lightly.

"Bye, Nick."

The Grimm left and shut the door behind them, leaving Monroe and Emma alone. Awkwardness descended upon them like a hawk on its prey until Monroe couldn't take it anymore.

"Well, let me show you to your room," he said. His voice screamed false cheeriness, and Emma knew he was doing that for her benefit.

"Okay. And Monroe?"

"Yeah?" he said, in that same cheery voice.

"You don't have to pretend everything's okay. I know this is as awkward for you as it is for me."

Monroe dropped the act altogether, which was a relief. As he led the way up the stairs he said, "Listen, I don't want you to think that I'm not happy you're here, 'cause I am. It's just…"

"It's been eleven years. This isn't going to be easy for either of us," Emma said.

"Exactly. See, we're already on the same wavelength! We're two of a kind, you and me, Emma," Monroe said. He smiled at her and Emma managed to produce a small half-smile.

"So, here it is. I know it's a little old-world, but…"

"No, it's fine. I like it."

The room was varying tones of warm honey brown and, while it was a little 'old-world', it was much homier than her room back at her parents' house had ever been. She already felt a little more at ease.

Monroe smiled at her and said, "Right, well…I'll let you get settled. When you're done, uh, come downstairs. I think we need to talk…about some stuff."

Emma nodded; knowing that the 'talk' that was soon to occur couldn't be avoided. It would be much easier, she reckoned, as Monroe went back downstairs, to just face it and get it over with.

So, after she unpacked her stuff, which didn't take long at all, she wandered back downstairs and heard very beautiful music playing. She thought it was a CD until she realized that the music was coming from Monroe and his cello.

"I didn't know you played," Emma said, startling Monroe.

"Oh, yeah. I started after I became a Weider Blutbad. Helps me…stay good. Well, that and a strict regimen of diet, drugs, and Pilates."

"Oh…"

"How do you…?" Monroe started to ask.

"-stay good?" Emma finished with a smirk. She shrugged and made her way down the rest of the stairs. "I don't know. I just do. I think it probably helped that I isolated myself from most humans after high school. Get rid of the temptation, there is no urge. Simple as that."

Monroe nodded and gestured for Emma to take a seat on the couch. Emma sat down carefully and Monroe started in almost immediately.

"So, Emma, listen. I know…you aren't exactly fond of me. And I get it. I do. I abandoned you with that mess of a family, and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

Emma was about to say something, but Monroe cut her off, "I know that 'sorry' can't fix anything, but I think you should know that I've regretted my decision to leave you there every day of my life since then."

"Why didn't you come back for me?" Emma asked, hating how hurt and weak her voice sounded.

Monroe cringed a little. "I should have. I know that. But, I think it was because I was scared. I didn't know anything about raising a little girl…"

"So what? At least we would have had each other. I had no one, Monroe. I was seven years old and for eleven years I had to endure those _people_ calling me a waste of space and millions more, far worse things. It's amazing I have self esteem at all!"

Monroe cringed again and said, "I know. And I'm sorry. I really am. I don't expect you to forgive me, because I can never forgive myself, but I am asking you to give me a second chance. Just let me try to make it up to you. I can't undo eleven years of damage and pain, but I can try to give you new memories, better memories. If you'll let me…"

Emma didn't say anything, so Monroe continued. "I don't think you understand how hard it was for me to leave you behind. I wanted to take you with me so badly –"

"Then why didn't you?" Emma asked coldly.

"I don't know. I don't even know anymore. Maybe because your parents would never let me take you..?"

Emma scoffed and said, "They never loved me. All they ever wanted from me was another bloodthirsty heartless killer."

Monroe sighed and said, "I don't know how else to say it, really. I'm so sorry, Emma. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I am asking for it."

"I'm not a forgiving person, Monroe. But I want to give you a second chance. I do. But you'll have to be patient with me. It won't be easy letting go of the resentment I've felt towards you for so long. You were my hero, do you understand that? You were my everything, my entire universe, and then you just left me. I was no better than left for dead, by the one person that I thought would always protect me. Can you even begin to understand how that feels?"

Monroe shook his head and said, "No, I can't. Like I said, I can't undo the damage I've done, but I can try to make up for it. I want you to be happy. I want my niece back. That's all."

"It's…not a lot to ask for," Emma admitted. "But it is going to take time. You'll just have to be patient, Uncle Monroe."

Monroe's face lit up at the addition of the title and Emma smiled, really smiled for the first time in a **very **long time.

So, yes, it would take time, but Emma was ready to rough it out. She wanted her hero back.


End file.
